BCN 5.0 The Adrià and Iglesias Brothers project! ... and the stars will continue

This is a different post because it is not only a restaurant or food review but an attempt to recreate an experience.

Here is a bit of Albert’s Adria’s projects in Barcelona, after working more than 20 years in El Bulli. Bcn 5.0 is a project of 5 restaurants, with 5 partners: Ferran and Albert Adria, and the 3 Iglesias brothers (Rias de Galicia restaurant). The 5 restaurants are Tickets, 41º, Pakta, La Bodega 1900 and Yauarcan, the Mexican opening in 2014. Tickets and 41º each got their 1st Michelin star recently.
First 41º opened its door in Barcelona, in Jan 2011, as a cocktail and snack joint. On the first day it opened, even though there was no propaganda, there were huge queues outside. We were lucky, one night and got the chance to enter, and met some old friends that were working there. We have been going there for a special cocktail once in a while; cocktails made with a twist à la Albert. Then Tickets opened, a tapas bar, A “Bulli del Barrio”. So don’t expect the usual tapas, you can go to any tapas bar for that.You will get to try some of the iconic El Bulli signature dishes and many innovative tapas. In Tickets Albert offers fun, fun while eating, enjoying the buzzing noise, looking at the different food stations. Start your meal with a cold Inedit Beer by Estrella Damm in collaboration with the Adria brothers.Then go with the flow and enjoy your wine and tapas.

It is à la Carte, but you can trust the chefs to choose for you, you won’t be disappointed.

Spherical Olives from El Bulli!

One of the station, the dessert one!

The desserts in Tickets

The snacks!

At Tickets!

Then, after a few months of having opened 41º became “The Experience”. It now offers a set menu, it has a capacity of 16 seating and you have 19 people working for your meal. It is a gastronomic and visual experience. Here Albert offers emotions, you will experience food with all your 5 senses. You observe the beautiful dishes, you feel and taste the ingredients, smell and admire. You will be offered around 50 dishes -some finger food and small plates- and cocktails, presented in different countries landscapes, or in unusual dishes. It is something special with the music and light show accompanying the meal, a great service and a very special atmosphere. We are vegetarian, and it took some time for Albert and his team to come up with a special menu just for us that had to fit our expectations. And it did!

One night at 41º, meeting Jose Corbacho!

The making of the Pink Flaminco!

More cocktails!

and more...

41º The Experience, some of the dishes.

Some wonderful landscapes!

You can still go any day after 11.30 pm for a cocktail at 41º.

Last April he opened Pakta, the Nikkei food restaurant. We haven’t tried it yet as it offers more fish and meat. But whoever has gone has had an incredible experience.

Last September, the “Vermuteria Bodega 1900”opened. The old concept of the typical Vermut place below your house reconverted in an Adria’s project. So be surprised there too. It opened first for few hours, it is now open from 12 to 10pm, last table booked at 10. You can read more here.

At the Film and Cook festival, a few weeks back Albert presented to us all of his restaurants and also told us, that 41º was soon shifting to a 700m2 local. What I really like in him, it is the special attention he gives to all his customers, be it in Tickets, 41º or at La Bodega 1900.It is a great team working together and that is why it is the way it is. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”-Hellen Keller.
Watch out for their international venture in a couple of years!